In April, we attended a New Zealand Wine Tasting Event in San Francisco. A restaurant named Oola's was offering free samples of their baby back ribs. I took one bite and got back in line for a second sample. The meat was fall-off-the-bone tender and crispy. The sauce was sweet and savory and totally addictive. My march to become more of a vegetarian came to a halt right there.
Although we returned to the wine tasting (which was wonderful), I kept wondering if I could disguise myself enough to stand in line for a third sample of those ribs. When I decided that I probably could, I made my way back to their booth but couldn't disguise my disappointment when I saw they were out of ribs and closing down their operation. I took one of their business cards and promised to visit them soon.
We headed for Oola's a few weeks later. Could those ribs really have been that good? Truth is, they were actually better than I remembered. The secret? The ribs are braised for hours then deep fried ...yes, deep fried! You wouldn't know it unless you read the recipe ~ check it out.
Pre-ribs, we ordered a few appetizers and I can only sing more praises for the Cheeseboard, the Beet Salad and the Steak Tartare. Each provided pops of flavor that stopped all table talk. (Mmmmm-ing while eating = really good. Silence= outrageously good, talk to you later.)
The Beet Salad deserves a special shout-out: beets and watermelon, another surprising combo that really works. I wonder who imagined that partnership...or maybe they were just too close to each other on the cutting board one day and Voila! Or should I say "Oola!"
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